Tomorrow's Pain
by Hopeful Writer
Summary: COMPLETE! Ron likes Hermione. Seamus likes Hermione. Hermione likes ?. Someone close to Ron dies and he is at a low, but Hermione is there to help him. Or will she dump him?
1. What's Wrong?

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling, not me, duh. If I did, well, I wouldn't know what to do with it.

A/N - This is my first (completed) Harry Potter fic. It's a Ron/Hermione with a small dose of some other couplings in there. Basically, Ron is at an all-time low when someone close to him dies. Hermione's there to (cough) pick him back up.

Shout outs to Dreamer4, Dark Gamer, Light Gamer, EeyoreP, Knight, EvilTenchi, SaturnsChild, PhoenixChild, Wolfie, TogetherAgain, DC Reborn, Blackout12, Phire Phoenix, Fallen angel of Hope, Immia, AlexPG13, and shadow2k. Special dedication to Ashes for inspiration. Enjoy.

-...- means someone is thinking, *...* means the word/phrase is emphasized, ... means that it is a flashback, and "..." means someone is speaking.

**__**

Tomorrow's Pain

By: Hopeful Writer

****

Chapter 1: What's Wrong?

Ron felt the blood boil under his skin. "You know what, Ginny? You're getting to be a bigger pain than Percy ever was. You're gonna be just like him, you know that? Why don't you just leave me alone and let me learn and study my own way!" He tore from the common room, straight up to his dorm, only to collide with the only person he didn't want to see him cry: Hermione.

"Ron, what's the matter?" she exclaimed, gripping his arm to stop him from moving.

"Nothing," he muttered through grit teeth, but he couldn't fool Hermione.

"Nothing, huh? Well, then nothing's wrong with me."

"What's wrong with you?" Ron demanded, cursing himself for being too blind to see a problem she might be having.

"Nothing," she retorted, raising her eyebrows.

Ron let a tiny profanity spew from his lips. "Why do you have to trap me like that?" he complained. "I can't go knowing that there's something wrong with you and you're not going to tell me until I tell you what's wrong."

"Yes. That's right," Hermione told him.

"Okay, fine. Ginny's about the biggest pain in the universe. She's constantly badgering me about my schoolwork and she makes every assignment, every little thing, turn into a big fiasco!" Ron was almost to the point of screaming.

"She's just looking out for you, Ron. But," Hermione added, seeing Ron at the brink of explosion, "she is going a little far. I'll talk to her, if you want."

The redhead was beginning to calm down now. Talking to Hermione always seemed to do that for him. "Okay. Now what's wrong with you?"

Hermione flushed. "Oh, well, it's *really* nothing."

"BS," Ron hissed, taking *her* arm so she could squirm away.

-He's so perceptive,- she grumbled silently. -Or he just knows me too well.- "Well, I have this really big crush on this guy in Hogwarts and I don't know how to tell him." (A/N - It's not Ron.)

Either it was Hermione's imagination, or she saw Ron's smile falter, just a little bit. "Tell him, 'Mione," was all the boy could tell her. "He's bound to like you back. Who is it?"

"Oh, you'll just laugh," she mumbled.

"Never," he promised.

"Okay. It's," she was blushing like mad, "Seamus."

Ron felt like hitting something. Or crying. Seamus Finnegan over him. Wow. His heart felt like it was breaking in half. But he couldn't let Hermione see that. "Just tell him," he instructed. "Seamus is a great guy."

"Maybe tomorrow," Hermione replied in a low voice. "I'm going to sleep. You should get some too. Don't worry too much about Ginny; I'll straighten things out with her tomorrow, too."

"Okay, Herm. Thanks a lot. Night." He pecked her cheek quickly before resuming his walk to his dorm.

It's common knowledge that when you don't want something to happen, it almost always does So, of course, because Ron didn't want to see Seamus in his dorm, who else would be there but the sandy-haired boy himself, moaning about some fate that Ron couldn't understand.

"What's the matter, Seamus?" he asked, being too kind to ignore the other's feelings.

Seamus looked up, startled. All of a sudden his story came out, though he'd been trying to say that he was fine. "I've had the biggest crush on Hermione for so long, but she doesn't even look my way, Ron. What do I do?"

Ron had never had people ask his advice before. And, as much as it pained him to say it, he had to give good advice, if he could. "Tell her, Seamus. Tell her before you lose her. Trust me. You don't want to make that mistake."

"I can't do it," he whimpered. "I'm so lousy with words and sentences. It's easy for you to tell me to just tell her. You never had a problem putting words in sentences."

"Aw, Seamus, yes, I did and yes, I do."

"Can you help me, Ron?"

"What?" Ron was shocked. "How would I do that?"

Seamus looked small and desperate. "Just, like, stick around when I'm telling her, and maybe just help me say what I want to say. Please, Ron?"

"You don't really want to start your relationship with Hermione by lying, do you?"

Seamus was on the verge of tears. "No, but I can't do it alone. I'll make a complete moron of myself and then she'll never like me."

Ron sighed. He hated lying to Hermione like this, and it was so very hard for him to be near Seamus while he told Hermione, but it didn't look like he had a choice aside from confessing his true feelings. "Okay, Seamus. I'll help you."

************

"Um, Hermione, can I talk to you?" The next day found Seamus nervously approaching Hermione outside the school, with Ron hidden in the shadows.

"Sure." Hermione was also apprehensive, but she hid it well.

"Uh, you see..." -Help me, Ron,- the boy silently begged. It seemed that Ron understood though because he began to help.

"We've known each other for five and a half years now, and I've always kind of admired you from afar," the redhead hissed.

Seamus repeated that, and Hermione began to blush. A cloud hid the center of the sun, giving the world a glow from the light that seeped around it. Specifically, it gave Hermione the glow. "She's beautiful," Ron breathed, his voice barely audible.

Seamus took that as he cue to continue. "You... you're beautiful," he echoed. Ron dove back into his hiding place.

"What... what did you say?" Hermione asked, not believing her ears.

"You're beautiful," Seamus reiterated. 

"Hasn't anyone ever told you that you're beautiful before?" Ron added, just loud enough for Seamus to hear.

Seamus translated that to Hermione, who answered, "No, not really."

"Well, you are. I guess, what I'm trying to say is that—" He cut off, and moved closer to Hermione. Ron had to turn away as they began to kiss. He sighed with defeat. -I'm out of my mind. Now I'll never get her.-

A/N - I didn't think it would be a chapter fic, but I guess it is gonna be. So stay tuned for the next chapter soon.


	2. Harsh Words

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I couldn't do half the job JK Rowling does.

A/N - This is Chapter 2 of Tomorrow's Pain. Seamus and Hermione are a pretty hot item now, but one tragedy may change all that.

Shout outs to Dreamer4, Dark Gamer, Light Gamer, EeyoreP, Knight, EvilTenchi, SaturnsChild, PhoenixChild, Wolfie, TogetherAgain, AAUK, Arylwren, DC Reborn, Blackout12, SC, Fallen angel of Hope, Immia, AlexPG13, and shadow2k. Special dedication to Ashes for inspiration.

"..." means someone is speaking, ... means flashback, *...* means the word is stressed, -...- means someone is thinking.

**__**

Tomorrow's Pain

By: Hopeful Writer

****

Chapter Two: Harsh Words

Ron tried not to bemoan his fate, but he could barely stand to see Seamus and Hermione together. His heart seemed to break in two when they kissed or even just flirted. -Why are you so stupid?- he asked himself, time after time after time. He would curse constantly, and he never hung around Harry and Hermione anymore.

Meanwhile, it seemed that the more it bothered Ron, the worse Ginny got. His little sister was kind of like Hermione was her first year: a miserable stickler. Everyone in Gryffindor knew when the bickering started to just let the two fight, but one day a particular fight caught everyone's attention.

"Ron, did you do all your homework?" Ginny asked, sounding more like a mother than a sister.

"No!" he yelled, attracting the attention of several third-years, one being Denis Creevey. 

"What's the matter?" the boy asked, having matured rapidly, completely opposite his brother.

"Nothing. Just shut up, Denis," Ron snapped. "Ginny, you better cut it out. You sound like Mum more than Ginny anymore. I don't know what you're trying to pull, but you sound so stupid when you do that sort of thing!"

Ginny was being to wither under Ron's fierce glare. "I'm just looking out for you."

"You know what? I can do it myself. You're just a pain!" He whirled around and stormed out of common room.

Hermione glanced apologetically at Seamus and then tore up the stairs after him. "Ron, what's wrong?" she demanded, grabbing the redhead's shoulders and spinning him around.

"Why do you care?" he asked coldly.

Hermione was taken aback. "You're my best friend, Ron."

"Why don't you just go back to your *boyfriend* now?"

"What the hell is your problem?" she cried. "You haven't spoken to me in weeks, you barely speak to Harry, you're blowing up at Ginny. What's the matter with you?"

"You know what?" Ron spun on her. "It's none of your business, or Harry's business, or Ginny's business, or *Seamus's* business, either."

"Are you mad that I'm going out with Seamus?"

"No!" Ron exclaimed curtly. "Just... just leave me alone." He bolted up more stairs in the hopes that Hermione would take the hint and not follow him. She did, but each step in the opposite direction pained her.

The next morning, however, Ron felt badly about the way he'd treated Ginny and Hermione. He went to the Great Hall in hopes of apologizing, but he was greeted by solemn faces. Harry spoke to him first. "Ron, Ginny died last night."

A/N - Ooh, how's he gonna take it? Well, Chapter 3 will be up soon enough if I get some good reviews. §LaTa§ -- hW


	3. Confessions

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

A/N - This is Chapter 3 of Tomorrow's Pain. Harry just broke the news to Ron about Ginny and now he's going to be going through some tough emotions. How's he going to get through it?

Shout outs to Dreamer4, Dark Gamer, Light Gamer, EeyoreP, Knight, SaturnsChild, EvilTenchi, PhoenixChild, Wolfie, TogetherAgain, AAUK, Arylwren, Blackout12, Phire Phoenix, Fallen angel of Hope, Immia, AlexPG13, and shadow2k. Special dedication to Ashes for inspiration.

"..." means someone is speaking, *...* means the word is emphasized, -...- means someone is thinking, and ... means a flashback.

**__**

Tomorrow's Pain

By: Hopeful Writer

****

Chapter 3: Confessions

Ron stood in shock at Harry before he screamed, "No! You're lying! You just want... you want me to feel bad about what I said last night and apologize to her the minute I see her because I'm so glad she's not dead!"

"Ron, I'm sorry."

"Why are you doing this, Harry?"

"Ron, I'm your best friend. I'm not kidding, okay? Ginny killed herself last night."

"What?" Ron could only force that one word out his clenched throat, in nothing more than a squeak.

"She killed herself. They found her this morning with a note next to her body. She... she used the Killing Curse on herself. It was all explained in the letter."

"I want to read this letter."

Harry took a deep breath. "Dumbledore has it now. He's wrote to your parents to tell them what had happened."

Ron swore. "You're not kidding, are you?" he whispered.

Harry fought against the urge to hug his best friend. "No, Ron, I'm not." Ron swore again and then ran from the Great Hall, through the many winding stairs of Hogwarts, and into the Gryffindor common room.

He made it all the way to the boys' dorm before he was approached by his other best friend, one he had barely been speaking to. "Ron, I heard about Ginny," she told him, her voice low and sympathetic. Her eyes were red as if she'd been doing a lot of crying. Ron had forgotten how close the girls had gotten recently.

"It's all my fault," he realized hoarsely. "If I hadn't called her a pain last night, then she would of killed herself. I would take those words back in an instant if she would still be alive."

"No, it's my fault, Ron." Ron stared at Hermione and wrestled with the idea of laughing. "If I had just spoken to her when I told you I would, she wouldn't have continued badgering you and you wouldn't have blown up at her."

Ron hugged Hermione suddenly, clinging to his best friend as if he would never see her again. "I'm sorry, 'Mione," he whispered. "I didn't mean to say those awful things to you last night, and I... I'm sorry I've been such a jerk the past few weeks."

"It's okay, Ron." That's when Ron began to cry. As quickly as he'd hugged Hermione, he was sobbing, finally understanding that his little sister, who he dearly loved despite her being a bother, was gone. Hermione pulled the boy close and held him there, letting him cry into her shirt. She kissed the top of his head, and for one minute, one whole minute, Ron felt like nothing had happened. He blocked the troubles out as he bawled into Hermione's blouse.

A moment later, he straightened up again, blushing like mad. He was pretty sure that, besides his family, Hermione was the only one who had ever seen him cry. "Sorry about that," he mumbled, searching the blanket with his eyes.

"It's okay. Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"I, um, I have to go meet Seamus downstairs."

Ron felt anger suddenly replace the sadness. "Yeah, fine. Don't worry about your best friend over your boyfriend," he spat, turning his back on her.

"What do you have against Seamus?" she demanded.

Ron laughed, a harsh, angry laugh that came out more like a dry sob. "Oh, Seamus can't even tell you how he feels, Hermione. Think about it. When you're with him, does he ever say anything witty or smart?"

"N—of course!" Hermione cried, indignantly, not wanting Ron to see that he was right.

"No, he doesn't." Ron shook his head. "He didn't even tell you how he felt that day, Hermione. That was me. He asked me to stand back there and tell him what to say. He didn't say you were beautiful, I did. Those were my words, Hermione, and they came from here." Ron jabbed his thumb into his chest so hard that Hermione imagined the pain. "I meant every word." His voice came out low and raspy as he said that.

"I... I don't believe you!" Hermione exclaimed. "It's one thing to be jealous, Ron, but don't make up lies."

"I'm not lying!"

Hermione sent him such a glare that Ron felt his heart stop. -She's only more beautiful when she's mad,- he thought, but Hermione's next words chilled him. "Unless you can get over this fantasy, Ron, I think our friendship is over." She turned on her heal and walked out the door.

Ron watched her go, his heart now pounding in his chest. The second the door slammed behind her, Ron felt the tears pour down his cheeks. -Now what do I do? My best friend won't talk to me, my little sister is dead.- He lay his head in his arms and cried until he had no more tears left.

A/N - That's Chapter 3! This story is a little longer than I expected, but Chapter 4 will be up as soon as I get some good reviews. It's the little button in the lower left hand corner. Click there and tell me how my story is. Until I write more - love, peace, and chicken grease. §LaTa§ -- hW 


	4. Resolutions

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

A/N - What's up, all? This is just your friendly neighborhood Hopeful Writer with Chapter 4 of Tomorrow's Pain. Ron just told Hermione the whole secret with Seamus, but she doesn't believe him. Or does she? Now she's about to confront Seamus. What will he say?

Shout outs to Dreamer4, Dark Gamer, Light Gamer, EeyoreP, Knight, SaturnsChild, EvilTenchi, PhoenixChild, Wolfie, TogetherAgain, AAUK, Arylwren, SC, Blackout12, Phire Phoenix, Fallen angel of Hope, Immia, AlexPG13, and shadow2k. Special dedication to Ashes for inspiration.

"..." means someone is speaking, -...- means someone is thinking, ... means a flashback, *...* means the word is emphasized.

**__**

Tomorrow's Pain

By: Hopeful Writer

****

Chapter 4: Resolutions

"Seamus?" Hermione and Seamus were in the Great Hall, the only ones left. It was five days after Ginny had died, and Ron and Hermione hadn't spoken since. For the first two days, Ron wouldn't even go to his classes; he felt too sick with grief over his little sister. Finally Professor McGonagall had forced him to get up and get back to normal. He had gotten better. He would fool around with Harry again and twice he had started laughing at a joke. But he wouldn't make eye contact with Hermione and he most certainly would speak to her.

Now the words Ron had one said were catching up to Hermione. She desperately wanted Seamus to deny them, so she casually brought them up to him one afternoon after lunch. "What's up, Hermione?"

In a heartbeat, Hermione poured out the story Ron had told her. "Is it true?" she asked, begging him to say no. But Seamus remained silent, pushing the remaining food around his plate. Hermione suddenly felt sick. "You lied to me," she whispered bitterly, her voice cold. She slapped his across the face and ran from the Great Hall, tears pouring down her cheeks shamelessly.

It was a beautiful day outside of Hogwarts, so, of course, everyone was outside. Except one person that Hermione did not want to see at the moment: Ron. "What's the matter?" he asked immediately, forgetting about his silent treatment.

"Why do you care?" she demanded, trying to push past him and up to her dorm.

"Because I do," he replied stoutly. "What happened? Did Seamus do something to you?" Ron didn't say that because he didn't like Seamus. He said it because he had the gut feeling he was right.

-Why does he know me so well?- Hermione wondered silently. She didn't answer him, but that was answer enough for Ron. "That bugger," he muttered angrily. "I'll kick his sorry butt when he gets back here if he hurt you one bit, Hermione."

Hermione didn't say anything. Instead, she bit Ron's wrist hard enough to make him let go and then sped away for her dorm. Ron let her go, nursing his wound and shaking his head. -That woman is going to be the death of me.-

Suddenly the portrait hole opened and Seamus hopped in. "Ron, just the person I wanted to see," he spat scornfully. "Why'd you tell her?"

"Because you wouldn't."

Seamus swore at him and swung a punch that connected solidly with the side of Ron's head. What started as just that, erupted into an all-out brawl between the two boys, until both were rendered unconscious.

Ron slowly woke up about four days later. It wasn't like in the movies where their eyelids flutter open and they see a bunch of faces. His eyelids felt heavy while the rest of his body was so weak.As he slowly separated them, he was barely able to make out some blurs that eventually registered as the worried faces of Madam Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore. "You're awake. Good," the headmaster said, peering at Ron with his crystal blue eyes.

"How long was I asleep?" the boy mumbled weakly.

"Four days," the nurse called, bustling around to give him some pain killer. "You and that sandy-haired boy took a piece out of each other."

"How is he?"

"He's fine. Just woke up about a half hour ago. Nasty black eye, though."

"I'm peachy, Weasley," Seamus called from a nearby bed. Ron noted the way Seamus addressed him with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"I must go tend to things around the castle," Professor Dumbledore told them, eager to leave the tense environment. "Good day, boys, Madam Pomfrey." 

Madam Pomfrey slipped to the back to check on a few things and the boys were alone. "I'm sorry, Seamus," Ron apologized, remembering what had happened when he hadn't apologized to Ginny right away. "I didn't mean to tell Hermione. It was the night Ginny died and I just got upset that she was blowing me off to go with you. Besides, uh, I kinda, uh," cough, "like Hermione."

Seamus was silent a moment. Then he laughed. "You idiot. Why didn't you tell me that to begin with? Then we wouldn't be in this position and you and Hermione would still be speaking. Besides, I was gonna break things off with Hermione soon anyway. It just wasn't working out, but I didn't want to hurt her, like I wound up doing, so I was trying to let her down easily."

"Oh, really?" Ron and Seamus looked up from their beds to see Hermione leaning on the door post, her eyebrows raised in amusement.

"How much of that did you hear?" Ron demanded.

"Just what Seamus said. Was there something more I should know?"

"No," the redhead replied quickly, before Seamus could open his mouth.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," the sandy-haired child said, lowering his eyes to the bed sheet. "I was gonna tell you soon, really. And I didn't want to lie to you either. I just... didn't know how to tell you myself, and Ron is really good at saying stuff."

"I'm sure you would have done fine, Seamus. Oh, and Lavender sends her love."

"What?" Seamus couldn't decide whether he was more shocked or outraged by this.

"Here." Hermione thrust a handmade card at him and gave him a moment to read it. "So I would have probably broken it off with you soon, too."

"Thanks," Seamus replied. "I think."

************

Two days later, Ron and Seamus were released from the hospital wing. Hermione had visited them several more times, but she and Ron were still barely on speaking terms. She was mad at him, obviously. Finally, Harry got fed up. He dragged them both up to the boy's dorm and shoved them in. "I'm locking you guys in here until you work out your differences and start talking to each other again. I hate being in the middle of your fighting!" With that, he slammed the door and held it shut. He pressed his ear to it and waited for them to begin talking.

Ron didn't know what to do. At last, he exclaimed, "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to lie to you. I promised Seamus I wouldn't say anything, and besides, I didn't want you to get mad at him for asking for help. And about blowing up at you. Um, that was an accident. Things were piling up and I just... couldn't... take... it... anymore." With that gasped statement, Ron broke down into tears. The week's events suddenly took their toll on the poor boy and he lost control.

"Oh, Ron, don't cry," Hermione whispered.

He was sniffling back the tears as best he could. "You're the only one who's ever seen me cry, besides my family," he mumbled. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be burdening you with this. You've got enough on your plate without me adding to it."

To his surprise, though, Hermione reached over and hugged him close. "Ron, you're not a burden. You're my best friend and I'd never let you deal with this stress alone. I just have to ask, did you really say that I was beautiful?"

Ron's face turned an illuminated scarlet. "No! I mean, yes. Well, maybe?"

"Answer the question, Ron."

"Yes," he muttered weakly.

"No one's ever told me that before," she explained in awe.

Ron's head jerked up. "Really?" She nodded. "Well, they should. You're amazingly beautiful. I mean, look, Hermione, what I'm trying to say is—"

"Ron. Shut. Up." Hermione then leaned forward and kissed him. Her lips were soft on his and he shivered with delight. He stomach tumbled like on a big roller coaster and his spine tingled. His palms were sweating, but his fingers felt cold. -If just one kiss can make me feel like this, what else can she do to me?- he wondered, as they separated.

"Wow," he squeaked, his face heating up.

Hermione was blushing, too. "Yeah."

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"Um, I really like you," Ron managed, "and I was wondering if you would do me the honor of being my girlfriend."

Hermione stared at him for a moment and Ron's heart sank. Then she smiled. "Of course." She leaned in to kiss him again, and he gladly accepted.

And outside the door, Harry muttered, "And, thus, we start a new chapter of their book. From killing to kissing."

A/N - The end! I hope you enjoyed this lovely little fic. Ashes gave me the idea, so special dedication. Uh, it was also based of Whatever it Takes. Great movie, Shane West and James Franco. Please review. No, it's the other button. On the left. Keep moving the mouse. There you go! §LaTa§ -- hW 


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